Group Work


Wikis are particularly effective for group work because of the nature of the wiki. To make the most of the wiki and make the most of your group's project consider the following:

  • Wiki-assignments are ego-less: The finished product is more important to your grade than any individual contributions.
  • It's not enough to answer each question in the assignment to deliver a quality product.
  • The best pages typically have the most edits by the most people.
  • Don't ask the group for permission to work on a particular part of the project. If you feel you have something important to contribute, just add it up there.
  • If you disagree with something that was added to the wiki, you have (at least) two options:
    1. Change it so it fits your point of view and notify the group of the change. Use this option if it's a relatively minor issue.
    2. Add an alternative version for others to see and comment on (make sure it's clear that there are two different versions of the same topic/paragraph). Use this option if the two versions are very different or the issue is contentious.
  • 'Somebody else completed the whole project before I had a chance to contribute' is not a valid complaint. Group assignments are never perfect, so even if it looks like the project is 'completed' there's always extra material that can be added or quality improvements to be made. For instance, did you check that all instructions for the project were followed?
  • Anytime you see something on a page that is wrong or could be improved, change it immediately.
  • If you find a page where information is missing, add the missing info immediately if you can. At least you should point out that it needs to be added. That way someone else may find your note and will add the material.

Source: http://wiscwikis.wikispaces.com/Wiki Group Work Advice Jakob Iverson